WRU chief executive issues fighting pledge to depressed fans.

WALES returned home from their torturous tour Down Under last night to hear WRU chief executive David Moffett issue a fighting and passionate pledge to depressed fans.

"We within the union will do whatever it takes to restore Wales to the forefront of world rugby," he said.

"I am going to sort it out. The world is moving on and we have got an ever-widening gap to close."

Moffett has returned from his own overseas trip, a holiday to France, to find the game in Wales beset by yet another cartload of problems.

The national team looked battered and bruised after their defeat to Australia and a record 55-3 defeat to New Zealand, their ninth straight loss.

This has seen the heat turned up on coach Steve Hansen, with former Wales stars David Watkins and Paul Turner among those calling for him to be axed.

In turn, the current players have sprung to Hansen's defence, with skipper Martyn Williams saying yesterday that it would be ridiculous to sack him.

Williams insists that Wales would have got thumped by the All Blacks on Saturday whoever was coaching the team.

Hansen himself has stayed behind in his native New Zealand for a family holiday but he has issued a defiant message, insisting he is determined to stay until the end of next season's Six Nations, when his contract expires.

"If the WRU still wants me I will see my contract out," he said.

"I won't be leaving unless they want to get rid of me."

Moffett was also greeted on his return by problems besetting Welsh rugby's new regional structure.

Newport and Ebbw Vale are at loggerheads over the naming of their combined team and unable to reach agreement.

Only one of the five sides, Cardiff Blues, has a name so far, with Bridgend-Pontypridd failing to announce their team title at an official launch yesterday.

Faced with all these problems, Moffett now has his work cut out as he returns to his desk today but he is adamant that he will drive through the regional revolution, which he sees as fundamental to turning round the fortunes of the national side.

The tough-talking Aussie has sent a blunt message to those people standing in the way of the changes.

"We don't have any more time," he said.

"We have to fix Welsh rugby.

"You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. What we need is everybody to be part of the solution."

Moffett has called on those regions yet to come up with a team name to get off their backsides and get on with it.

The Bridgend-Pontypridd regional team was originally due to be called RCT Ravens, but that idea was dropped after strong opposition from Ponty supporters.

The name Crusaders was then put forward by fans of both clubs as a neutral alternative, but there is still no official decision.

Explaining why they went ahead with the launch without having a name to announce, regional chairman Leighton Samuel said, "We wanted to show people that we are united as a region and moving forward.

"I am very frustrated that people are making an issue of the name. It is irrelevant. We have more important things to address."

Samuel revealed that there were plans to build a new stadium for the regional side at a site between Pontypridd and Bridgend.